Closure for compartments.



S. P. STEVENSON.

cLosuRE FOR COMPARTMENTS..

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4,1914.

l gm Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Y lNvENToR x Bymez( WM ATTORNEYS las SAMUEL PRICE STEVENSON, 0F CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOSURE FOR COMPAR'JLMENTS.

incanta.

Specification of Letters Patent.

patented nee. ia, raie.

' Application led November 4, 1914. Serial No. 870,91.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that lf, SAMUEL Felon STE- vnNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Closure for Compartments, of which the following is a specification.

My vinvention consists of an auxiliary door for a compartment such as a refrigerator or other compartment in which the temperature is to be maintained at a degree different from the surrounding atmosphere, which auxiliary door automatically closes.

ft further consists of such auxiliary door within the door opening of a compartment and to the inside of the main door, which automatically closes when opened in either direction.

ft further consists of such door having strips and packing forming an airtight closure at its edges.

lft further consists of such door which, when opened in one direction, will release the fastener of the outer main door, unfastening such fastener and opening said door.

t further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one mechanical form embodying the invention, such detail construction being but one of various' mechanical forms 1n which the principle of the invention may be used.

lfn said annexed drawing-Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the entrance to a compartment embodying my closure. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section on the line -m in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section on the line y-y in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the stationary portion of one form of self-closing hinge for the auxiliary door. Fig. 5 represents a section on the line z-z in Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 represent, respectively, a plan view, a side view, and an axial section of the movable portion of the self-closing hinge. Fig. 9 represents a sectional detail view on line a-a, Fig. 2. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a form of fastener which may be employed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring'to the drawings, the` reference numeral l indicates the floor of the compartment in which a temperature di'erent from the surrounding atmosphere is to be maintained, forming a threshold, 2, for the outer main door or cover, 3, which is hinged, at 4, upon one of the j ambs, 5, of the dooropening and having its edges closely fitted upon said threshold, jambs and the lintel, 6. A fastener, 7, is secured upon the door at the free side-edge, and automatically engages a keeper, 8, upon the adjoining jamb, and the bolt, 9, of said lock has a push-bolt orrod, 10, slidable through the door and engaging with the fastening bolt to unfasten the same when the push-bolt is moved outward, sliding in its bearings, 11, in the door. The inner end of the pushbolt or rod, as here shown, has a head or knob, 12, against which the pushing force is applied. The faces or edges of the door are preferably provided with packings, 13, which bear against the outer faces of the jambs and lintel and the top surface of the threshold when the door is closed to form an air-tight joint.

An auxiliary door or closure is provided for the opening, with means for automatically closing the same, the said door in opening serving to unfasten the outer door. Different constructions may be employed for accomplishing this result.

ln the drawings, a pintlerod 15, has its lower end seated in asocket, 16, in the floor of the compartment a suitable distance from the outer door and at the same side of the door-way as the hinge of said door, and the upper end of said pintle is journaled in a sleeve, 17, projecting from the bottom of a flanged open box, 18, secured upon the top of the compartment, and an auxiliary door or cover, 19, is secured adjacent one edge to said pintle. Adjacent the sleeve are two diametrically opposite cam-bulges or faces,

20, facing upward, and a cam 21, is secured upon the upper end of the pintle and has cam-bulges or faces, Q2, rotatably fitting upon the cam-bu1ges 20 to rise and descend upon the same when the pintle is rotated.

Any suitable means may be employed for forming a tight joint between the auxiliary door and the walls of the passage.

In the drawings, the bottom and free edge of the auxiliary door has flexible packing-strips, Q3, which form an air-tight joint lbetween the said bottom and the free edge of the door and the sides of the passage or opening to the compartment. A packing, 24:, of suitable material such as greased felt this means,

the rod 10 to unfasten the fastener.

or similar air and watertight, yielding material is interposed betweenmthe hinge-edge or pintle of the door and thewall of the compartment to there form a lyielding and 5 air-tight joint at this point.

The upper edge of the door is here shown in normal position between ,pairs of yielding and air and waterproof strips, 25, as clearly seen in Fig. 9, which are carrled by w the top wall of the opening, which strips will be swung out when-the door is opened or closed, but will form a tight joint with the door, in normal position.

An oil-reservoir, 26, is formed about the ,1.5 cam-bulges to lubricate the same, the sleeve 17 preventing the oil from reaching and escaping down by the pintle '15.

In some instances, it may be of advantage, in order to insure the actuation of the push I 20 rod, to provide a member 27 which, as here shown, is hinged to the outer door or cover 3, or is swingingly supported at a distance from the rod 10 and extends to a position` a5 construction amounts to an engagement therebetween.

If desired, the member 27 may be removably connected with the rod 10 in any desired manner, as for example, by a hook or socket 28 adapted for engagement with the knob 12.

The fastener may be of any construction required and desired, so long as it automatically fastens and is 'released by the pushbolt when moved outward by impact against its inner end.

In entering the compartment, the outer door islopened and the auxiliary door is swung inward, admitting thereto the opern ator and whatever article is to be placed in the compartment. The aux-iliary door. closes when released, and the outer door may be automatically or manually closed, the auxiliary-door excluding automatically passage of air into or out of the compartment.

When the operator wants to go out or discharge articles from within, the auxiliary door is' pushed outward, striking the inner end of the push-bolt and unfasteningthe outer door which will be pushed open with the auxiliary door and permit of exit of the operator and discharge of contents of the compartment.

ile the automatic closing device described and illustrated in connection with the auxiliary door' forms a positive and durable devlce, any other mechanism for automatically fastening such door may be employed.

The herein disclosed closure is principally intended for ice-houses, refrigerating rooms for provisions, and similar refrigerating structures; it is evident, however, that it may also be employed for compartments containing a higher temperature than that of the surrounding atmosphere, the object of the invention being to provide a closure which will automatically close in the quickest possible time the passage or opening between the compartment and the surrounding atmosphere, and will automatically open the outer door when the auxiliary door is actuated.

Other modes of applying the principle of my'invention may be employed for the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus disclosed, provided the principles of construction set forth respectively in the following claims are employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A closure for a compartment having an opening, comprising an outer movably supported cover for said opening, an automatic fastener upon said cover, an inner auxiliary cover movably supportedin said opemng independently of the outer cover A and adjacent thereto to automatically close,

and means for actuating said fastener to release the same when engaged by said auxiliary cover in opening the latter.

2. A closure for a compartment having an opening, comprising an outer door hinged to close the outer side of the opening, an automatic fastener for such door, an inner auxiliary door hinged in the opening independently of the outer cover, means for yieldingly closing said auxiliary door across the opening independently of the position of the outer door, and a movable element connected to actuate the fastener on the outer door and adapted to be operated by the auxiliary door when the latter is opened outward.

3. A closure for a compartment having an opening, comprisin an outer movably supported cover for sa1d opening, an automatic fastener upon said cover, an inner auxiliary cover in said opening movably supported to automatically close, and remain in closed position independently of the position of the outer cover, and means adapted to be actuated froml the interior to release the fastener, when the auxiliary cover is opened outwardly.

4. A closure for a compartment having an opening, comprising an outer movably supported cover for said opening, an automatic fastener upon said cover, an inner auxiliary cover in said opening movably supported independently of the outer cover to automatically closeindependently of the position of the outer cover, meansv adapted to be actuated from the interior to release the fastener, and a swinging member in suitable re1at10n to the actuating means and adapted, When moved in the direction for opening the outer door, to move .sald actuat- 10 ing means to release the fastener.

SAMUEL PRIGE STEVENSUN.

Witnesses C. D. MCVAY, K. M. Brornr. 

